Electric iron



M. IRELAND ELECTRIC IRON Aug. 3, 1948.

2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 11, 1944 Aug- 3, 1948. M. IRELAND 2,446,284

ELECTRIC IRON Filed Nov. 11, 1944 l 2 Sheets-sheet 2 ,8 INVENTOR. Mur-fc5 Ireland wif 5g Aitor-neg.

Patented Aug. 3, 1948 ELECTRIC IRON Murray Ireland, Elgin, Ill., assignor to McGraw Electric Company, Elgin, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application November 11, 1944, Serial No. 563,017

3 Claims. (Cl. 219%25) My invention relates to electric irons and Darticularly to terminal constructions for such devices.

An object of my invention is to provide a inanually-adjustable means i'or determining the operating temperature of the sole plate of an electric iron that shall not be subject to high temperatures.

Other objects will -either be apparent from a description of one form of device embodying my invention or will be pointed out in the course of such description and set forth particularly in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevational View oi an electric sadiron, partly in section, on the line of Fig. 2,

Fig. 2 is a transverse, sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing the electrical contact in closed cool position,

Fig. 3 is a. fragmentary view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the bimetal bar when heated, with the contacts disengaged from rotatable member in the position Shown in Fig. 5,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan and sectional view, taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view through the manually-actuable switch, taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2, showing the rotatable member in position for cool ironing corresponding to that shown in Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but showing the rotatable member in position for hot ironing of clothes,

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the position of the bimetal cold,

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the rotatable adjusting member without a serrated cam surface taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 9,

Fig. 9 is a view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a wiring diagram showing the heating element in combination with the bimetal .control, and,

Fig. ll is a transverse, sectional view, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing a modification in which the block is integral with the handle support.

Referring rst of all to Fig. 1 of the drawings, I have there shown an electrically heated sadn iron, designated generally by numeral and comprising a sole plate I3, electric heating element |5, and a top or clamping plate |1. The heating element 5 may be made in any suitable or desired manner, but I have shown it as including a top and a bottom plate of electric-insulating material, such as mica, having therebetween a strip |9 of a suitable resistor material, which may be wound on a similar sheet or strip of electric-insulating material or in any other manner now Well known in the art. I provide further a -cover 2|, which has secured thereto a handle 23, which is preferably made of electricand heat-insulating material having a front handle support 2-5 as well as a rear handle support 21. The front handle support 25 may be secured as by screws or bolts to an intermediate sheet 29, made of metal, which is secured to the cover 2|. The rear handle support 21 is secured to an intermediate strip 3|, which may either be made of metal or of a molded composition, by a plurality of screws 33, the plate 3| being secured against a rear inclined surface of the cover 2| by a plurality of screws 35. The rear inclined surface of the cover 2| is providedwith an opening 31 therein for permitting of bringing in the inner end portion of a cord 39. l

The cord 39 comprises twin conductors 4| and 43, which are adapted to be connected to terminal members 45 and 41, which are secured to the lower ends of rods 49 and 5| of electric-insulating material, the upper ends of `which extend into the body o-f the rear handle support; 21 and are held thereby. Terminal 45 is connected by a conductor 53 with one terminal of resistor member I9. Terminal 41 is connected by a conductor 55 to an upper resilient contact arm 51, which is secured as by a machine screw '59 to the rear end portion of the sole plate |3, The bolt or screw 59 is also effective to hold a second cooperating contact arm 6|, as well as a bimetal bar |53, having the bolt or screw 59 extending through one end of members 6| and 63, with electric-insulating washers therebetween. The bimetal bar 63 is in good heat-conducting relation 4relatively to the sole plate |3, and its free end has a return bent portion 61 effective, when the bimetal bar 63 is heated and ilexes in a counter-clockwise direction, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, to vengage the second contact arm 6| 4and move it out of engagement with the rst contact arm 51.

In order to provide means for varying the operating temperature of the ironing surface of the sole plate |3, the twin conductor cord 39 extends horizontally through a. block 69 of electricand heat-insulating material, which has a vertically extending recess 1| therein intermediate the two side walls and which is positioned at one side of the rear handle support 21. I provide a hollow bushing 13 of electric-insulating material, which extends from the inner surface of member 69 to beyond the outer edge of recess 1|. 'I provide further a rubber bushing 15, which has interiitting engagement with member 59, so as to hold it in proper operative position. The twin conductor cord 39 extends through the bushing 15, through the bushing 13, and into a (recess 11, of substantially L-shape, in the rear handle support 21. It may |be here pointed out that the handle, as well as the handle supports, may be made either of molded composition or of Wood, or of any electric-insulating material which can be formed into the desired shape. While I have shown aparticularshape of handlefzand ofhandle supports, Ido not desire to be limitedithelreto. While I have shown block 69 as being secured to the rear handle support, I do not desire to be limited thereto as it may also be securedtothe front lhandle support.

I provide a substantially circular manuallyadjustable member 19, of electriceinsulatingmaterlial, as shown in all of the figures with the exception of Figs. '7, 8, and..9, whichisadapted to be positioned in recess 'H and'is adapted to'be rotatably mounted on bushing 13. Member -'T9'.is provided with a peripheral recess 8|, at predetermined angular extent, which is of :varyingrdepth nfrom one .of its. endsftothe` other.

I-jprovide furtheran adjusting l'arm,.83, .which is .adapted tolhave its upper end ,t into recess :8l .in manually-adjustable member T9, While its lower end is ladapted to :engage `with the upper contact arm 5i. lFor this purpose :I provid-ea .second recess V85., which. is positioned immediately vrbelow -recess "il in member :69 *and position 'a .biasing springlzin recess 85, the lower=end of tthe'lspring engaging a closure member 89 -fi'tted :into the lowerxend ,portion vof recess t5, whiley its 'lupperI end engages a washer 9| onfarm 813, which Washerengages ia shoulderon arm 83 to yieldingly cause the arm `tobe presseddown against .the

upper contact arm 5l.

When member 19 'is insubstantiallyuthe poisitionfshown in Fig.-51of:.the drawingsfthe'tem- .:peratureiat --which the heating element :5| will "maintain thevsole :plate `will .be relatively low,

#while when .member v'i9 .is in i the' position shown fin Fig. 6 offthe drawings, thetemperature sat vwhich' the ironing surface will be maintained 'will -zbei'relatively.high It is evident that the end sur- .faces 93randff95 .of the recess 8i 4will-actas stop :'means for determining 4the -minimum :and the i. maximum temperatures vat Awhich .nth/e. ironing surtfa'ce will be maintained.

l.If-it'be kdesired to ensure that :any position'to w-hichuthe manually-adjustable member lilwmay be moved by an operator will be maintained, this .can be done, las lis shown by the yserrated cam face 91., Aas is shown in' Figs. .5 'and' v6 of. the:` drawllngS.

. :Referring now to Fig.' '7, I'haVe there illustrated --zar-modified form of construction. between amm-51 aand rod 83, comprising :particularly .1a .substanf..tially':U-shaped lug securedinfproper operay.tive-position to the outer '.free :endrofztheupper Ytric-insulating material, it -is `possible to make ...the actuating rod `t3 :and the manually-adjustable member i9 oi -rnetalwhichiwill vinsure bothmembers of' much greater life than ii they iwereffmade tof electric-insulating material. l:sh-own the recess of f8.1 infFigs.-.8.:and:Sl-without L-itheserrated surface, itis understood. that'itialso can be serrated.

.Theblockvfl is secured against the right-.hand

:.side of the rear handle supporti2`l,.:as' seen' when looking at the' rear` end vvof the iron, l:by `a plurality `o'fsrnachine screws I t l.

A'rear fend closure member M131-nay ,.alsobe .provided and :be held .inproper operative vposi- .tionrby screws 35 and by s'crewsi-IQE securing .it eagainst'a bar 101 secured to vthe.soleiplate-"as:by .screws 109.

`.The device :emfbodyingomy linventionf fthus .po- -zsitions a l-rnanually-actuable ladjusting member -doririlxing .the operating vtemperature of thee-sole While I "ha-ve plate and particularly of the ironing surface thereof at any desired value, which manuallylactuable membencan .easily beiprovided with an outer knurled surfacetsoithat .itcan easily be moved by the fingers of an operator.

Referring to Fig. 11, I have there shown a modi- .iedstructure in which member 69 is made in- 'tegral with the rear handle support 2T and in :which :the .bushing -.-13 is reversed and held in Iproper .operative'position by the rubber bushing .ered thereby.

I claim as my invention:

..1. In an electric sadiron, thefcombination with asoleplate, an .electric heater therefor,y a .thermostaticy switch. mechanism forl controlling thetem- .perature'of the solerplate, Aa handlaa'hollowrear handle support and a cord projecting into the hollow handle support, offa block ofheat-.insulating=material securedzto said handle supportat .one side thereof., a bushing in said block surrounding said cord and meanson .said bushing extending upwardly above the surf-ace `of said block for engagement by the operator's handjfor Iadjusting the switch` mechanism.

2. In an electric sadiron, the combination with a sole plate, an electric heater therefor, a thermostatic switchmechanism forzcontrolling the temperature l of v.the sole plate, :a handle, .a ,hollow handle support and a cord Aprojectingdnto :the

.hollow handle support, of a block of heat-insulating -material secured to. -said handle support at onev side thereof, a .bushingin said block surrounding said cord, .a rotatable member'in said block: on said bushing and .projecting from'. ysaid block for engagement bythe .operators hand an'd 4lla :rod in said block extendingffrom isaid rotatable .member tosaid. switch mechanism for changing .fthe :openative :position of` the4 switch mechanism y in .accordance with rotative .movement of f said rotatable member.

.3..;In anI electric sadiron, -the combinationfwith `aso'le'.plate,.r.an electric heater therefor, a'thermostatic switch mechanism for controlling-.thetem- .perature of the .sole plate, y.a handle, a Ahollow on said 'bushing in -said :block 'fan-d projecting .therefrom for .manual operation, .f means .in rsaid block for transmitting motion from the rotatable :rmember-to .the vswitch.mechanism to adjustthe .same and Ameans' onl said .rotatable `menfiberffor *limitingzthe rotation thereof-.to predetermine the range of the thermostatic switch mechanism. MURRAY IRELAND.

REFERENCES CITED The following'references rare of record'in'the yrile of this patent:

.UNITED4 STATES 4PA'IEN'S Number Name Date 378,082 Yoder ?May 17,1921 `1,620,184 'Berste'd Marx 28,1927 1,689g809 '.Vaughan Oct.v 30, i928 1,755,612 Runsvold Apr.22,'l 1930 .12,195,002 vClark 'Malti-26,1940 

